


Unexpected Future

by BitterChocolateStars



Series: Love Is Complicated [10]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, Bruce is gonna give him The Look, Feels, Fluff, I'm sorry i made the last chapter so sad, Michelle is sassy, Mpreg, Romance, Tony needs to watch his mouth, Tragedy, so many feels, what else do i tag in this?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-22
Updated: 2013-04-18
Packaged: 2017-12-06 03:37:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/731056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterChocolateStars/pseuds/BitterChocolateStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘After Complications and Revelations.’</p><p> </p><p>"Daddy... Where did I come from?" Michelle’s small voice whispered next to his head where they lay sprawled on the grass of the back yard.</p><p>“Why do you want to know?” He whispers back.</p><p>“Peggy said that I’m a science experiment.”</p><p>“She did, did she? Why that little-”</p><p>Or: Tony needs to have a talk with Steve, Michelle needs to stop asking questions that will get him in trouble with Bruce and Fury doesn't understand why it's always him that has to deal with this shit.</p><p>Also Third chappy is tragedy.... sorry... it just happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The ripe age of awkward questions

****

"Daddy... Where did I come from?" Michelle’s small voice whispered next to his head where they lay sprawled on the grass of the back yard.

“Why do you want to know?” He whispers back.

“Peggy said that I’m a science experiment.”

“She did, did she? Why that little-”

“Daddy!”

“Right yeah, I’ll talk to her dad later.”

“Daddy just tell me where I come from.” She huffed.

“Funny story-” He was inturupted again.

“Is it really a funny story, or is this one of those things that you laugh at now but was bad at the time, cause Aunt Pepper told me that you used to say that before telling her you blew yourself up again.”

“… Well I guess you could say I was terrified at the time, now are you going to let me tell you or are you going to interrupt?”

“Tell me!”

“Well Micky it all started with a box.”

....

......

........

 

“Well Brucie it all started with a box-” Tony was cut off.

“I know it started with a box Tony, what I’m asking is why in god’s name are we currently stuck in said box?” Still Bruce’s voice was slow and calm even if it had a slight edge to it. The last thing Bruce remembered was watching Tony work on the metal box in the middle of the room.

“Funny story…”

_“Tony what are you doing?” Bruce asked curiously, not in the least surprised to find Tony working on something completely unrelated to the task they were supposed to be doing._

_“Well I got this idea after the big guy smashed open those containers with explosives in them, and decided that we needed hulk proof storage for the important things.” His voice echoed out from inside as he leaned into the box._

_“Well whose fault is it I hulked out?” Bruce snapped before quickly drawing a breath to calm himself._

_“I said sorry like a million times, how was I supposed to know slipping caffeine into your morning routine for a week would do that.” Tony said standing straight before hopping off the ladder and walking over to grab the controls for the small crane he built in the ceiling._

_“Now what are you doing?” Bruce asked glancing up from the vial of red liquid he was currently studying._

_“Moving it duh can’t have it sitting in the middle of the room, and besides I have to take it down to the hulk room to be tested.” He said grinning as the crane lifted the metal crate from the floor._

_“I’m not testing that for you.” Bruce muttered looking back down to his work._

_“Keep telling yourself that big guy.”_

_For a few minutes it was quiet; nothing but the occasional whirr from the crane or the tapping of a pencil from Bruce. Suddenly the silence was broken._

**_*pop* *snap* *ping*_ **

_“Shit Bruce!” Bruce heard Tony yell then suddenly the playboy was pulling his arm knocking the vial from his hand to spill down the front of him, but as Tony pulled Bruce he tripped backwards causing the doctor to collapse on top of him just as the cable to the crane snapped swinging and dropping the now upside down  box, that had been on a collision course with Bruce ,over them thus trapping them._

_“Bruce you okay?”_

_…_

_“Bruce?” Tony was glad at the moment that he had a permanent flashlight in his chest, as he shifted the now unconscious doctor Banner up right to study him for injury. Finding none he ran his handover the back of Bruce’s head and finding a small bump._

_“You hit your head…” he mumbled gently resting Bruce’s head back on his chest, before slowly becoming aware of their positions._

_“Well this is going to be awkward…”_

_And ten minutes later indeed it was._

_“Tony this had better not be some sort of plan to get the hulk to show.” A sleepy mumble was heard before Bruce shifted his head from Tony’s chest to stare down at him rubbing his eyes tiredly._

_“Believe me when I say it’s not and dear god I hope he doesn’t.” Tony said just realizing that he was stuck in a box with the man that could at any moment become a giant green rage monster and effectively  crush him in the confined space._

“So you see it wasn’t really my fault.” Tony said smirking at a blanching Bruce.

“Tony…”

“Yeah?”

“That vial I had in my hand… where did it go?” his voice was tinged in worry.

“Umm I think it got dumped on you… why?” he asked now even more concerned.

“Oh god why.” Bruce groaned covering his face with his hands.

“What was it?” He asked shifting slightly trying to sit up more.

“Stop moving.” Bruce snapped and Tony stilled instantly.

“Bruce?”

“That stuff… i- it- I can’t think, I just need you to not move so I can think straight.”

“Why~” Tony ask smirking and without moving his hands from his face Bruce could tell he was.

“Tony this isn’t funny, there’s something wrong with my body.” This made Tony frown but seeing no immanent Hulk transformation he pressed on.

“What is it doctor Banner, uncomfortable position?”  He teased, then to add to the teasing he pinched his thigh. Bruce jerked back slamming his already injured head on the top (or is it bottom) of the box.

“Fuck sorry.” Tony said immediately regretting his idea as Bruce started to mutter to himself one hand still over his face the other in a fist resting against the wall next to Tony’s head to hold him up. Tony strained to hear what he was saying.

“Phosphorus and francium and fluorine and terbium-”

“Are-… are you singing the elements song?” Tony asked trying not to laugh.

“It helps me concentrate.” Bruce mumbled his face was pink.

“Bruce it’s okay I totally trust you not to hulk out.” He said trying to comfort him.

“Then stop moving.” He whispered with a strained calm.

“Alright message received, moving will be ceased immediately.”  Tony said relaxing his body he decided to just study Bruce. Rigid body, slow even breathing, everything about him seemed on edge.

“What was that stuff anyway?” He asked only after four minutes of silence because face it, it’s Tony Stark he can’t stay silent long.

“I’m not sure… it came in from one of the other labs, I was just looking out of curiosity, but…” He moved his hand from his blushing face to rest it on Tony’s chest.

“But?”  Tony raised an eyebrow.

“It seems to be making my body… overly sensitive to everything, hearing, touch, and taste, all of it.”

“Oh… so pinching you was a bad idea.”

“Yes Tony, it was, I could have killed you.”

“But you didn’t.” Tony’s response was matched with a grin.

“Your right I didn’t.” Bruce said exasperated.

“… so now what?”

“We get this box off before I accidently hulk out and crush you.”

“That’s… going to be a problem.” Tony said sounding slightly sheepish as he tried to still his body from moving too much.

“Why?” Bruce groaned not liking the playboy’s tone of voice.

“Its Hulk proof so the only one that’s going to be able to move it is Thor or a crane but I doubt any of them could even begin to understand how to work it.” He said grumbling the last part.

“So you telling me… that we are stuck in this box till someone notices were missing and gets Thor to help us?” Bruce questioned; his voice strained from the headache that had started in the back of his mind.

“Yup.”

“You realize that we usually post up for days without seeing anyone…right?” He grumbled resting his head back onto Tony’s chest not caring at all about personal bubbles or the fact that he was straddling the man his head hurt and he wanted nothing more than to just sleep.

“Bruce buddy you can’t sleep, you of all people should know that, what with your trips to the middle of nowhere to play doctor.” Tony said shaking the man’s shoulder lightly so he didn’t suddenly hurt him.

“Why~” The sleepy doctor whined childishly which amused Tony to no end.

“Because Bruce you hit your head one too many times, and at the risk of you slipping into a coma and leaving me without a science bro you can forget about sleeping.” Tony huffed; patting Bruce’s butt causing the other man to jolt awake.

“TONY!”

“HA I knew that would work.” Tony said proudly.

“You’re an ass.” Bruce grumbled into his chest.

“I may be an ass but you sir have a very lovely one.”

“Enough Tony, I’m awake and at the risk of being molested in a box I plan to stay that way.” He sighed but still didn’t remove his head from the other man’s chest.

“… you know-”

“No Tony.” Bruce cut him off knowing the train of thought before the other could finish, this didn’t stop the playboy from continuing though.

“It wouldn’t really matter if you were awake or not-”

“That’s creepy.” He said flatly turning his head up to look him in the face.

“Because seeing as were stuck in a box and you have nowhere to run-”

“Quit sounding like a rapist Tony.” Bruce sighed  rolling his eyes.

“I could really do whatever I wanted.”

“Except I don’t think you want to die by being crushed to death in a box.” He reminded the rambling man.

“True… speaking of crushed to death; how’s the sensitivity thing?”

“A little better but still there so please stop trying to talk with your hands.” He replied swatting at one of the offending appendages that had stopped to hover in the air when Stark realized that yes he indeed had been.

“Whoops my bad-”

“Man of iron where have you gone off to I have urgent matters to discus with you, the device of toasting has suddenly broken!” Thor unmistakable booming voice sounded from outside the box.

“Well isn’t that convenient.” Bruce whispered tiredly.

“In the box!” Tony called out to the thunder god.

“Why are you in a box… is it some sort of midguardian habit I am not aware of?” His voice clearly only a few feet away.

“Not exactly you see there was an accident and now we’re stuck.”

“’We’re’, there is someone else in there with you?” Thor queried.

“Yeah, Bruce, now if you don’t mind can you kinda remove the big box.”

“Of course!” His voice boomed, there was silence before the box was suddenly lifted and dropped to the side. It was at this moment that Clint decided to see what the yelling was about.

“I don’t think I’m going to ask about this one.” He said staring at the two men on the ground, one straddling the other with his head resting on his chest and the other grinning.

“I rescued them from the box he and the good doctor were trapped under.” He said gesturing toward the metal container beside him.

“I see…” He trailed off smirking. “Then is there a reason that the ‘good doctor’ just fell asleep on you?”

“Wha- Dammit Bruce I said no sleeping we have to get your head checked out first.” He said shaking him awake again.

“I’m up Tony just stop shaking me before I throw up on you.” He mumbled cracking an eye open to glare at him. Clint and Thor frowned as Tony tried to drag Bruce to his feet, after falling on his ass after the third try Thor finally stepped in and picked Bruce up bridal style.

“I’m fine I can stand on my own.” Bruce said but made no attempt to move, the others ignored his protests anyway.

“Take him up to the infirmary, but be careful not to move him around too much or be too loud we had an accident with some chemicals.” Tony instructed Thor who nodded and left making sure not to go too fast as instructed.

“What’s up with that?” Clint asked holding out his hand to help Tony to his feet.

“That is what happens when you hit your head one to many times.” He said taking the offered hand.

“I meant the chems.” He said as they started toward the elevator.

“Oh we don’t know what they do but when that crate fell he kinda got them down the front of him, now his body seems to be really sensitive to everything.”

“…How long were you trapped in there?” He asked studying Tony hard as they rode the elevator up three floors.

“Maybe half an hour.”

“Half hour huh… you didn’t try anything did you?”

“Oh for god sakes, I didn’t do anything pervy to him you mother hen… well I might have touched his ass which I might add is a very firm one, but he’s my boyfriend I think I can touch him if I want.” He said smirking when Barton rolled his eyes and turned his gaze away.

“Don’t tell Tasha she might try and cut your hand off.” He laughed as the elevator doors opened.

“Oh… is she protective of him?” Tony asked curiously, he found the image of Natasha being protective of Bruce adorable.

“ She is like a giant mother hen when she gets attached to people, you have no idea- … actually you might just get a taste of it.” He said stepping away from Stark slightly.

“huh.”

“Stark what did you do?” the cold voice of Natasha Romanov echoed down the hall wrapping itself around Tony like a snuggly blanket of doom.

“Nothing... well there was the whole crate thing, totally an accident.” He said smoothly, continuing down the hall towards where she was leaned against the door to the infirmary.

“Then why is Bruce in there shivering to death even though it’s nearly a hundred outside?”

“That would probably be the vial of red stuff that was spilt on him.” He said opening the door and stepping inside Natalia hot on his heels a frown on her face and her eyes wary.

 “Ah man of iron I was getting worried he seems to be quite out of it at the moment and thought it wise to wait for you before I left him.” Thor said moving to give Tony a better view of Bruce. Bruce was sprawled out shivering on what had to be the most uncomfortable looking hospital bed he had ever seen. In fact he hadn’t seen them before; this room was S.H.I.E.L.D.’s doing and he’d had no part in its making.

“Hey Bruce how you feeling?” He asked casually digging through drawers for a thermometer.

“Too cold.” Was the only reply he got as the man shifted to sit up but was pushed back down by Tasha.

“Cold, you realize it’s nearly a hundred out right?” He said not turning to ask the question still set in his quest to find the thermometer.

“uh-huh.”

“Alright, you think it might have to do with that vial of red stuff?” he asked finally locating the object of his search he turned and was met with the sight of a curled up shivering red faced Bruce Banner.

“Yeah.” Bruce panted his brows furrowed as he concentrated on breathing normally and not letting his heart beat elevate.

“Alright then, here stick this under your tongue you know the drill.” He said placing the thermometer in Bruce’s mouth.

“Yes doctor.” Bruce said sarcastically before curling up again.

“I want to take a sample of your blood if you don’t mind.” Tony said moving over to grab a syringe and numbing pad. Bruce looked uncertain for a moment before nodding slowly. Wiping the pad across Bruce’s upper arm he quickly plunged the needle inside. After collecting the blood he placed a small green bandage on the needle prick.

“Tony can you come here a second?” Clint’s voice sounded from near the door.

“Hey I’ll be right back buddy hold up tight.” Tony said throwing the plain white infirmary blanket over his shaking form before going to stand with the others.

“What’s wrong with him?” Natasha asked instantly.

“I won’t be sure till I get a look at the stuff that was dumped on him.”

“You don’t know what it is?” Clint asked

“No we were kinda in the middle of dodging being taken out by a metal box, but I’ll look into it.” Tony said starting to walk back down the hall toward the lab.

Once in the lab Tony looked around and found the vial of the red liquid. Picking it up gently he placed it on the table and began to take samples. He placed it in various machines around the lab before turning his attention on Bruce’s blood.

As the hours rolled by he could find nothing that would constitute the high fever Bruce was running.

“Fuck… please let it just be a fever.” He muttered to himself as his ripped off his latex gloved.

**Three Days Later**

Tony was confused, yet the evidence was right in front of his face.

Bruce had been curled up into himself, wide eyed and a little green, but not hulk green and that’s why everyone was worried.

 Natasha wouldn’t let anyone near him. Tony kept asking what was wrong but she would glare and he would snap his jaw shut never getting a clear answer.

After hearing some ‘distressing’ news Bruce had apparently had a panic attack and there had been no appearance of the Hulk. Now he was being taken to S.H.I.E.L.D despite Tony’s complaining and Clint’s arguments, Bruce on the other hand said nothing, still in shock he didn’t seem to notice anything happening around him.

“What’s going on?” Tony demanded barging into Fury’s office. The man didn’t even flinch, he had been expecting this.  

“Calm down Stark, when we have this sorted out we’ll tell you.”

“What do you mean when _you_ have it sorted out, I thought you already knew what was wrong that’s why he’s here.” Tony said seething just a tiny bit, he knows how much Bruce hated being near S.H.I.E.L.D.

“Tony, this is something the two of you are going to have to talk about… privately.” Fury sighed, there was no way on earth or Asgard he was going to break **this** news to him.

“Can I go see him or am I going to be kicked out if I try?” Tony snapped, he couldn’t help it, he was worried and couldn’t help but feel that it was his fault that Bruce was having some kind of breakdown.

“Yeah you can… just, for the love of my sanity, try not to stress him out.”

Tony turned on his heel and marched out the door.

“Fuck… why do I always have to handle the weird shit?” Fury groaned to himself rubbing a hand over his face.

**…OOO…**

Stepping into the room where Bruce was staying Tony silently made his way over to the chair beside the bed. Bruce didn’t move just sat staring at his hands clutching the blanket in his lap.

They sat like that for the longest time; each lost in their own thoughts, when Bruce spoke up it was quiet and strained.

“Tony…”

Tony eyes snapped to Bruce’s face, taking in the tired lines and the bags under the eyes, the nervous expression, fear, confusion; he waited till Bruce spoke again.

“I’m… p-pregnant.” He whispered just barely loud enough for Tony to hear.

Tony was silent, his mind blank as what Bruce said sank in.

“Pregnant?” He breathed the word; his face is a mask of confusion and shock.

“They think it was whatever I dumped on myself when the crane snapped… they uh… they also think it’s… yours.” His voice was strained and his knuckles were white as he clutched the blanket like a life line.

“M-mine… but we’ve never-… you’re a man, dudes can’t get-”

“I know, they think it’s something like DNA transference through skin to skin contact, and you were the first person I touched after I dumped it on myself.” Bruce says slumping back in his bed looking like he was about to burst into tears.

Tony didn’t know what to say, he didn’t even know what to think. He had the urge to run from the room but the look on Bruce’s face kept him rooted to his chair.

_‘Oh… OH FUCK!’_

Bruce was pregnant.

Bruce was pregnant with his baby.

Bruce was pregnant with his baby and he had no idea what he was going to do.

 

 

...

.....

.......

"So then what happened?" Michelle asked.

"Well you tell me, i went on to prove to myself and Bruce that we'd be great parents then when you were born i was so calm the Brucie was jelous."

"Dad said Aunt Tasha tied you to a chair."


	2. Labor Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is supposed to be a silly chapter...  
>  because i warn you now the next one is tragedy...   
> a horrible horrible tragedy... forgive me

"What happened when dad went into labor?" Michelle asked sitting across from her father on the couch. Her father's face; wrinkled with the signs of age, scrunched up into a wide smile, his favorite topic having been broached by his curly haired daughter.

"Why do you want to know, Steve's girl picking on you still, you're a teenager and you can do whatever you want-" He started but she quickly cut him off. Years of her dad doing the same having rubbed off on her she learned early on it was for the best, especially when it came to his teenage freedom speech.

"Woah Pops calm down, me and Pegs are dating remember, no need to go bother Cap about his kid." She had been mortified the day he had walked in on her and Peggy kissing. His only words had been an over dramatic "Really Mick, Caps girl… how could you do this to me?" before her dad had come up behind him and dragged him away.

"Yeah yeah, I'm just givin you shit."

"Tony I heard that, she's only sixteen you still aren't allowed to swear!" Bruce called from the other room. Tony and Michelle laugh together for a moment before she becomes serious again.

"So… dads labor…"

"What, oh, yeah… well let's see…"

* * *

If Tony had a choice on the perfect time and place for Bruce to go into labor this would not be it. Unfortunately the world hates Tony Stark, it must, because Bruce is trapped in the mansion while swarms of giant spiders invade it; so many spiders in fact that you could hardly see the building itself.

"Clint do you see him?!" Tony's voice panicked and sharp crackled over the com.

"Negative, we got the call that he was in labor-"

"HE'S IN LABOR?!" Tony cut him off. No one had contacted him with this information. Now he was flying through the air at top speed on his way toward the mansion from the tower.

"Calm down Stark Thor's on his way to help."

"Bruce is in labor Cap how can you be so fucking calm!?"

"I'm sure Bruce can handle it."

"He is a physicist not a-"

"Hey what if one of these spiders is radioactive, if it bites the baby and the baby gets super powers… can we call the baby black widow too?" Natasha's voice cut through. She'd been in the mansion when the spiders where unleashed by a strange enemy hell bent on capturing a pregnant Bruce. She had grabbed Bruce and locked them both away in one of the many safe rooms hidden throughout the building.

"That's really not funny, but man I never thought I'd be so glad to hear your creepy monotone voice." Tony turned sharply as the mansion came into view. It was positively crawling with Spiders. It made him a little nervous knowing Bruce was trapped under all of them.

"Tasha, how's Bruce?" Clint asked.

"Bruce is fine, scared but fine."

"The baby?"

"We're going to need a real doctor soon." Is all she says.

"Oh god, are you serious!?" Clint says as he watches a large wasp fly onto the scene. A man rode on its back. He wore a large red cape and a helmet that looked to have the antenna from a moth attached to it.

"Please tell me that is not the man that sent the bugs, please tell me he did not just show up here of all places." Tony seethes turning his attention to the man laughing manically on the bug.

"Yeah I think it him, he seems to be saying something, can any of you make it out?" Steve asks as he fights his way through the spiders trying to get to the door… or even a window… hell if he could make it to a wall he would just bust through it.

"I do believe he's saying something about old loves and shared pasts." Thor says helpfully as he smashes a spider, its neon green and orange blood and innards splattering all over the spiders next to it and unfortunately Steve who had been watching Thor's back having given up making to a wall.

"Soooo… what? Is he an ex of Bruce's?" Clint asks taking out three spiders about to swarm Steve again splattering guts onto poor Steve, this time catching him in the mouth as he had been about to speak.

"An Ex?" Tony mutters to himself as he gets closer to the man to hear what he's saying. Also secretly hoping the outside security cams were still running, because this would be a wonderful day if he caught a video of Cap eating spider guts and the look of shear horror as the taste hit him.

"- My love for you shall always burn brighter than the sun, I will always feel the bright burning gaze of your brown eyes upon me! Look as I come to take you away from the mad man that has impregnated you!-" The man was cut off as Tony fired a repulsor blast into his face. "WHO DARES ATTACK ME?!" The man screamed.

"Yeah that would be me, your kinda trying to hit on my boyfriend… oh and also your standing on the grass and the sign clearly says stay off." Tony snapped as he fired a few rockets at the man.

* * *

"Wait wait wait… I was almost stolen by a guy that had some old school girl crush on dad?" Michelle asked horrified.

"Yeah… pretty much… man that was the best day ever… Steve's horrified face will always be burned into my memory-… not that your birth wasn't amazing or special!" Tony laughed looking over at Bruce fondly as Bruce scowled at him.

"When did you date him?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah… I dated him in collage once… only for a week but he got really creepy." Bruce said embarrassed.

"Did he have the bug thing then?" She asked, because seriously… Ew.

"… Kinda, yeah."

"You dated that." she said disgusted.

"He hadn't met me yet darling." Tony said with a lewd grin and Bruce elbowed him. That soon escalated into kissing.

"Yeah… im outty old man." She muttered escaping the room as the two men ignored her in favor of flirting with each other.


	3. Missing you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I... am so sorry...
> 
> It was never meant to be this way.  
> It just happened.  
> Feels.

“Hey Pops…” Michelle whispers resting her head on her dad’s hand.

“Hey Micky, what brings you around?” He whispers around the oxygen tubes that run down the sides of his mouth. His voice rough with age; like his mouth was constantly dry, reminded her of why she always made him read her stories before bed; a strange mix of Sci-Fi and fantasy, when she was a child.

“What happened the day dad died?” She whispers into his hand; too afraid to meet her fathers eyes.

His years of drinking had caught up to him in his depression. His metal heart was failing, when Bruce went; all knowledge of the arc reactor went with him, her father couldn’t stand the idea of living so long without Bruce. Her father had become broken, nearly a shell of his former self. Things had never been the same after that.

“It was a horrible day… we had just learned about a terrorist plan to gas all the newly opened mutant schools…” He whispers; staring of into space as he remembered.

* * *

“Michelle!” Tony called inside the collapsing building. “Bruce!”

“Pops!” Michelle’s voice echoed down the hall. Tony picked up speed not stopping till he came upon the horrible sight of Hulk holding up the entire hallway to save the survivors of the mutant bomb that went off in their school. Now it was up to him, Bruce and Michelle to get the kids out before the fire destroyed the building.

 Michelle; in her silver and blue iron woman suit, held two young boy’s in her arms while twenty others clung to each other around the Hulks legs. Behind her a group of teenagers were holding most of the others. One boy had sprouted multiple arms and was holding at least six of the children himself.

“Alright kiddys everyone out, GO GO GO!” Tony yelled as he herded the kids out of the building.

“Wheres dad?!” Michelle called over the roar of the fire. Tony turned and ran back inside, Hulk still stood there holding the hallway together.

“Hey buddy we got to go!”

“Baby.” Hulk says glancing behind himself. Tony walks around and sees a small girl clutching Hulks leg with her tiny hands.

“Hey there princess, we have to go so I need you to take my hand.” He says reaching out. The girl runs over to him and latches herself to his torso; he scoops her up and holds her to his chest to shield her from anything that might hurt her.

“Banner says metal man and baby leave first, Hulk agrees.”

“What, why?!” Tony calls over the sound of something collapsing.

“Building going to explode.”

“How do you know?” Tony asks surprised.

“Banner says so.”

“Wha-”

“Bruce and Hulk love you.”

 “NO!”

The next thing Tony knew he was being thrown out the window; someone caught him midair and people were calling for him and asking about Bruce.

“Where’s dad?!” Michelle asked sharply as she ran up to him pulling the child from his arms.

 He wasn’t aware of any of it; his sole focus was captured by the flaming building as the next explosion rocked the ground. People fell to their knees and the building was gone in a flash of pure white light.

“WHERE IS HE?!” Michelle’s voice broke the silence as she screamed shaking his shoulders.

“Gone… he’s gone…” he whispered, unable to truly comprehend his own words. It isn’t until much later when the shock has worn off and he’s sitting in the hospital on suicide watch; after Steve found him passed out on the bathroom floor, that he lets himself crack and sobs into Steve’s chest.

* * *

“I never blamed you, not once, I would never blame you.” She whispers; finally able to look her father in the eyes she’s not shocked to see him crying.

“I know, I’m sorry I became so detached after that, I didn’t want to hurt you I just didn’t know how to go on without him.” He says watching her with a sad look. “He loved you so much, I know he’s proud of you.”  He whispers running his hand through her hair. “I’m proud of you.”


End file.
